Still mourning Davis, Madden won't discuss role with Raiders

Former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden says it's too soon to think about his possible role with the organization in the wake of owner Al Davis' death.

"Al and I were always close, and we talked a lot about a lot of things," Madden said Monday on local radio, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. "But I think a lot of these things are premature right now. Itâs still (about) mourning the death of Al Davis, and he was such a great person to so many people and did so many things.

"For me, itâs rather harsh just to jump in from death to this ... Iâm still thinking about ... it was just a week ago that I was sitting with Al. And he said to me out of the clear blue, âYou know Willie Mays?â And I go, âYeah.â And he goes, "Iâve lost touch with him. I would like to see him again.â I was going to try and get a hold of Willie Mays and have him come to a game."

In addition to owning the team, Davis also served as the Raiders' general manager. Madden was his coach from 1969 through 1978, and referred to Davis this week as "my best friend."

Raiders CEO Amy Trask told the Chronicle Tuesday that she was not yet ready to talk about hiring a director of football operations or a general manager.

The Raiders will honor Davis at their first home game since his death last weekend. Trask said the team will "honor and pay tribute" to Davis throughout Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. There are no specific details about what is planned, but the team offered two free tickets for season-ticket holders in an effort to ensure a sellout crowd.

Davis died Saturday at age 82. He had been part of the organization for all but three of the team's 52 seasons as either coach, general manager or owner.

The NFL remembered Davis with a five-minute NFL Films tribute at the league's Fall Meeting in Houston on Tuesday.

Notes: The Raiders worked out linebackers Kevin Malast and Prescott Burgess on Tuesday, according to Scout.com. Starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain tweaked his ankle Sunday, and backup Ricky Brown was placed on injured reserve last week with a concussion.